IN THE LAST WAKING MOMENTS...

This experimental collaboration of MARILLION roadie Eric Blackwood and PETE TREWAVAS has produced some absolutely gorgeous atmospheric The Wall-era PINK FLOYD-like Crossover prog. Great keyboard work fills every song and some pretty darn good guitar playing and singing, too. There is some kind of thread of repeated themes and sounds throughout the album. Overall the album has a kind of ART OF NOISE plays with PINK FLOYD and Hogarth- era MARILLION, with a more soulful IAN ANDERSON performing the vocalese. This is an album full of very catchy, engaging sounds, hooks, chords and lyrics and amazing production value.

Album highpoints: the gorgeous #5, "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had a Time Machine) (5:01) (8/10), the vocal on #6, "Outerspaced" (3:14) (8/10); the gorgeous #7, "Spiraling" (5:01) (10/10); the all-out rockin' #11 "Lifeline" (3:17) (8/10), and the regirgitative #12 "Fallout (of the 3rd Kind)" (4:01) (9/10).

4.5 stars, marked down for not really being very innovative or ground-breaking--for playing what is really very familiar, albeit, gorgeous, music.